Day 4

Day 4 really was one of the quieter days and nights.  Woke up to the local cannon going off, which is always interesting.  Apparently this has been done for decades to provide a sound for the local church bells to be tuned correctly to.  Makes for a great wake up call.  Woke up and went to find a local place to get the usual Espresso.  Perfect day to describe how locals park their cars in Rome.  While in America, bumpers are used for making cars look cool and to smash the occasional deer that runs out in front of you.  However in Rome, bumpers are used literally to bump into other cars to force your way into a parking spot.  I watched a tiny little smart car go back-and-forth about 10 times before he was able to get out---each time running into the other peoples bumpers.  I think if you have a nice car you know where to park to avoid messing with the locals.  Very interesting and makes me feel alot better about parking in America.

Started pouring here in afternoon and did not really stop.

 I did get to learn a little more about the Transtevere neighborhood that we live in here.  This is not a good picture of what condition it currently is in, but is a good representation of the beauty of the hillside.  Transtevere literally translates into across(trans) the Tiber river(Tevere).  This is apparently one of the very famous and historic neighborhoods in all of Rome, and the locals considered themselves their own people compared to the Romans in ancient times.  There is alot of renaissance art from building to building, and you begin to see everyone of the locals day-to-day.  There is one man who runs a general store that I visit nearly everyday, who is the only employee and works from 9am-11pm 7 days a week.  That takes a lot of effort.

At night we just had a few friends over and began looking over the trips that we are considering taking.  One group is going to the Maltese coast, Pompeii and Naples.  The other is thinking of visiting Greece.  So far already said I would go on the first one, but we will see how plans pan out.  Went out grocery shopping at about dusk across the river, had to stop on the way back on the bridge.  I wish I had my camera to take a picture of the beautiful sunset overlooking the calm river.  I can already tell when I leave that I am going to be Romesick....(as opposed to homesick).  The personal touch of everything here is not just refreshing, but comforting.  Everyone moves at their own pace and is always smiling.  I love my capitalistic society, but it really has opened a completely new side of me I didn't know I had, and a deep appreciation for this culture.

Don't get me wrong, I miss my family dearly and wish they could experience this with me.  Rome certainly has its pitfalls to complement its beauty.  But i cant help but think of things differently after being here and has made a big impact on me.